Taking no chances in Silicon Valley: Obama endorses Honda…two years in advance?

CA Democratic Rep. Mike Honda is wasting no time revving up his 2014 re-election bid, announcing his endorsement from President Barack Obama Monday — before there’s even a formal challenger in his South Bay CD-17 race.

“Congressman Mike Honda is the right leader for the 17th district. Together, we’ve worked hard these last four years to bring meaningful, positive change to our nation, but there is much more to do,” said the president in a statement released by Honda’s office Monday.

“As we continue rebuilding our economy from the middle out, we know expanding educational opportunities is critical. Congressman Honda’s lifelong commitment to education and fierce advocacy for innovation and technology is exactly what this nation needs as we continue to move America forward.”

Two years before the election?

Sure, but it may never be too early in what promises to be a competitive and crucial Silicon Valley district that encompasses tech giants like Google, LinkedIn, Cisco and Yahoo.We broke the story last week about potentially big race potentially looming for Honda, 71, should former Obama deputy trade representative Ro Khanna, 35, the Democratic rising star who’s already amassed a a $1.2 million warchest, decide to make the plunge.

And Khanna is “exploring” the option, with the backing of some big tech names.

As we noted, that raises the possibility of a high profile Asian-American generational battle would pit a 71-year-old, longtime political veteran of Japanese ancestry against a 35-year-old Silicon Valley leader from the South Asian Indo-American community, which is clearly a rising force in the South Bay.

Clearly, Honda — always a good campaigner — is taking nothing for granted in this one.

Last week, his office noted with pride that he was the receipient of the Congressional Progressive Caucus Lifetime Award for Progressive Leadership. The statement sent out on Honda’s behalf from Reps. Keith Ellison and Raul Grijalva provides a peek at themes the Congressman will pound in the coming re-election fight.

It notes the South Bay rep has “been at the fore of the comprehensive immigration reform fight,” has worked with LGBT leaders “fighting discrimination in the workplace, fighting the Defense of Marriage Act, and fighting to ensure that LGBT partners are covered in any immigration deal.” And, “as a former descendent of sharecroppers, Mike Honda is fighting for labor 100 percent, working to protect collective bargaining rights, raise the minimum wage, and ensure a livable wage for America’s working families.”

The same week, however, Honda lost his post as DNC vice chair to freshman Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, 31.

It can’t hurt to lock up President Obama in the endorsement column, even two years ahead of time. But a veteran like Honda knows that alone won’t be enough.

California’s whole political establishment watched the astounding lesson on that front provided by Democratic Rep. Pete Stark, the 20-term Congressman in the East Bay’s CD-15, who had the powerhouse backing of Obama, State Attorney General Kamala Harris, and the formal support of the entire Bay Area Democratic Congressional delegation in his 2012 re-election bid.

The 80 year old Stark is now a former Congressman.

And CD-15’s new 31-year old Congressman, Eric Swalwell, is this week in the district holding events that dramatize the generational change of the guard; he’s going on bike rides with local residents and holding “In Your Shoes” events to “shadow constituents in many different occupations to experience and discuss their daily responsibilities.”

We’ll continue to watch the South Bay district with interest. Stay tuned.